Service 03 Level 5 smooth finish

Level 5 smooth finish

The smoothest drywall finish there is. After the seams are taped and coated, the entire surface gets a thin skim coat, so paper and mud look the same under paint and light.

Get My Drywall Bid Builders: send plans

Where Level 5 pays off

Raking light. Walls next to big windows, and walls washed by can lights, show every seam on anything less.
Sheen. Eggshell, satin and glossy paints highlight what flat paint hides.
Smooth, no texture. If the plans call for smooth walls and ceilings, Level 5 is how they stay smooth.

How we do it

Seams taped and coated as for Level 4, then a skim coat over the whole surface, sanded and checked with a work light held flat to the wall. Marked spots get fixed before primer.

Level 5 takes more time and material than Level 4, and it's priced that way. We write it into the scope room by room, so you pay for it where it shows.

Reference Levels of finish

Finish levels, in plain English.

The industry defines six levels of drywall finish, 0 through 5. The question isn't "how good do you want it?" It's "what will the light and the paint do to this wall?"

Level 0

What's done: Board hung. No tape, no mud.
Typical use: Temporary work, or when the final finish isn't decided yet.
Where it fits: Rarely. Usually only when another trade or a later phase is finishing it.

Level 1

What's done: Tape set in mud at joints and inside corners. Tool marks and ridges are acceptable.
Typical use: Above ceilings, attics, service corridors, and fire taping in hidden areas.
Where it fits: Hidden areas that will never be painted or seen.

Level 2

What's done: Level 1, plus one coat over the tape, screws and corner bead.
Typical use: Garages, warehouses, and board that will be covered with tile.
Where it fits: Garages, storage and mechanical rooms. Covered and sound, and nobody looks at it in raking light.

Level 3

What's done: Level 2, plus another coat on flat joints and inside corners. Fasteners get two coats.
Typical use: Walls getting heavy hand or spray texture.
Where it fits: Walls getting heavy knockdown or skip trowel. Heavy texture covers what a third coat would fix.

Level 4

What's done: Tape plus two coats on flat joints, tape plus one coat on inside corners, three coats on fasteners and bead. Sanded.
Typical use: Most homes and offices: light texture, flat or low-sheen paint.
Where it fits: Bedrooms, hallways and most living spaces. Smooth under orange peel or light knockdown with flat or eggshell paint.

Level 5

What's done: Level 4, plus a thin skim coat over the entire surface.
Typical use: Smooth walls in raking light, glossy paint, big windows, gallery walls.
Where it fits: Great rooms, stairwells, walls next to big windows, and walls washed by can lights. Raking light and sheen show every edge on anything less.